Harley-Davidson risks overtaking. A motorbike with the same potential, decidedly less expensive, is on the market. Everyone wants it.
Born in England at the beginning of the 20th century and acquired by an Indian company after the Second World War, the company that created the motorcycle we will talk about quickly became Harley-Davidson’s main competitor, founded in exactly the same period and gradually specialized in the type of product we know well. Although the American brand is the emblem of noisy cruisers, the Chennai-based company is today very popular and known for the quality and richness of its offers, not to mention that it manages to remain a little lower in prices to the customer.
The model at the center of our interest mixes touring and bobber features, in a custom style. It is powered by a 648 cc parallel twin, capable of releasing a maximum of 47 hp onto the asphalt at 7,250 rpm, for a maximum torque of 52.3 Nm at 5,650 rpm. Also suitable for owners of an A2 driving licence, it boasts a 13.8 liter tank which allows it to consume relatively little, being around 22 km/litre.
Harley-Davidson is shaking, its rival has everything it needs
the frame of the Royal Enfield Shotgun 650 is the classic tubular steel structure, with Showa upside-down fork and 120 mm travel, while at the rear, the shock absorber stops at 90 mm. On the brake front we have a single 320 mm disc with double piston caliper both at the front and at the rear, where however the disc is 300 mm; while the spoked wheels are 18 and 17 inches. On the scales he is not exactly a featherweight reaching 240 kg.
What catches the eye, especially in light of current tastes and uses, is electronics reduced to the bare bones, for which traction control, engine mapping, driving modes are missing and even the accelerator is classic. With decent but not exaggerated performance, it can be managed well even by the less experienced and for those who can’t resist without it technology there is a nice department that mixes digital with analogue, complete with an integrated Tripper navigation system, so you can connect and navigate via the app created specifically with Google; There is also a USB-A socket for charging the phone and full LED lights. Well-finished in style and available in four colours: white, green, blue and metallic grey, it starts from 7,300 euros and reaches .7500.
